Robot

Abstract

The robot includes: a vertical multi-joint robot arm including a plurality of joint portions that rotate about respective rotational axes; and a pipe portion including at least one of a cable and a fluid hose. When viewed from the direction in which the rotation axis extends, the tube portion overlaps a circular region having the rotation axis as the center and the distance from the rotation axis to the outer surface of the predetermined joint portion as the radius, and is disposed inside the outer shape of the predetermined joint portion when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to robots. Background Art

[0002] In the past, robots with cables are known. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-13343 discloses a robot with drive cables, wherein the drive cables include a power cable for supplying power to a motor of a drive arm and a signal cable for transmitting and receiving signals. In the robot described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-13343, the drive cables are arranged along the outer surface of the robot.

[0003] However, when a pipe such as a cable is arranged along the outer surface of the robot as in the robot described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-13343, the robot needs to be operated in consideration of interference between the pipe and objects such as workpieces arranged around the robot. Therefore, the robot arrangement area needs to be set slightly larger in consideration of the interference of the pipe, so when the pipe is arranged along the outer surface of the robot, the robot arrangement area cannot be made compact. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one object of the present disclosure is to provide a robot capable of making the robot's arrangement area compact.

[0005] A robot based on one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a vertical multi-joint robot arm, including a plurality of joints rotating around respective rotation axes; and a tube, wherein, at a specified joint as at least one of the plurality of joints, when viewed from the direction in which the rotation axis extends, the tube overlaps with a circular area centered on the rotation axis and having a radius equal to the distance from the rotation axis to the outer surface of the specified joint, and, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, is arranged on the inner side of the outer shape of the specified joint, and the tube includes at least one of a cable and a fluid hose.

[0006] As described above, a robot based on one aspect of the present disclosure includes a pipe portion, and at a specified joint portion as at least one of a plurality of joint portions, when viewed from the extension direction of the rotation axis, the pipe portion overlaps with a circular area centered on the rotation axis and having a radius equal to the distance from the rotation axis to the outer surface of the specified joint portion, and when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, the pipe portion is arranged on the inner side of the outer shape of the specified joint portion, and the pipe portion includes at least one of a cable and a fluid hose. Thus, unlike a case where the pipe portion is arranged along the outer surface of the joint portion, interference between the pipe portion and surrounding objects accompanying the movement of the robot can be suppressed. As a result, the robot can be configured without considering the interference of the pipe portion, so that the configuration area of ​​the robot can be made compact.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the arrangement area of ​​the robot can be made compact. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing the overall structure of a robot according to one embodiment.

[0009] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of robots in a painting room.

[0010] Figure 3 is from Figure 1 Side view of the robot viewed from the X direction.

[0011] Figure 4 This is a block diagram showing the controllable structure of the robot.

[0012] Figure 5 This is a diagram of the robot arm as seen from below.

[0013] Figure 6 This is a side view showing an example of a state in which the robot arm is extended.

[0014] Figure 7 It is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of the lifting and lowering part in the first modification example of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 8 It is a side view showing a robot arm in a second modified example of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure which embodies the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings.

[0017] Reference Figure 1 to Figure 6 , the structure of the robot 100 based on this embodiment is described.

[0018] (Robot structure)

[0019] like Figure 1 As shown, the robot 100 includes a robot arm 10, a lifting unit 20, and a pipe unit 30. The robot 100 is, for example, an industrial painting robot for painting. A painting gun 101 for spraying paint is installed at the front end of the robot arm 10 as an end effector. The painting gun 101 includes, for example, an electrostatic bell. Figure 1 to Figure 6 In the diagram, the vertical direction is referred to as the Z direction, and directions orthogonal to each other in a horizontal plane orthogonal to the vertical direction are referred to as the X direction and the Y direction. The lifting unit 20 moves the robot arm 10 up and down along the Z direction.

[0020] like Figure 2As shown, in the coating room 102, the robot 100 is arranged above the Z direction which is the vertical direction on the columnar stand 104. The robot 100, for example, paints the workpiece 103 transported by a transport device such as a conveyor belt in the coating room 102. The workpiece 103 to be coated is, for example, a vehicle part. The coating room 102 has a recovery mechanism for suppressing the scattering of the paint sprayed by the coating gun 101 and recovering the paint that is not coated on the workpiece 103. In addition, in the coating room 102, for example, when the workpiece 103 is transported along the X direction, a plurality of robots 100 may be arranged along the X direction.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, the robot arm 10 has a base 11, a lower arm 12, an upper arm 13 and an arm 14. The base 11, the lower arm 12, the upper arm 13 and the arm 14 are connected to the robot arm 10 in order from the base end side to the front end side. In addition, the "base end" refers to the end on the root side of the two ends of the robot arm 10, and the "front end" refers to the end on the side of the coating gun 101 as the end effector installed in the two ends of the robot arm 10. The base 11 is arranged at the base end of the robot arm 10. The lower arm 12 and the upper arm 13 each have a long bar shape extending from the base end side to the front end side. In addition, the robot arm 10 is connected to the lifting part 20. The base 11 of the robot arm 10 is connected to the lifting part 20. The base end side of the lower arm 12 on the opposite side of the upper arm 13 is connected to the base 11. The lower arm 12 is connected to the upper arm 13 at the distal end. The upper arm 13 is connected to the lower arm 12 at the proximal end and to the arm 14 at the distal end. A coating gun 101 as an end effector is mounted on the distal end of the arm 14.

[0022] like Figure 3As shown, the robot arm 10 is a six-axis vertical multi-joint robot arm including a plurality of joints 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46. In addition, the robot arm 10 includes a plurality of link components 11a, 11b, 12a, 13a, 14a and 14b. The base 11 has two link components 11a and 11b. The lower arm 12 has a link component 12a. The upper arm 13 has a link component 13a. The arm 14 has two link components 14a and 14b. The six joints 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46 connect the plurality of link components 11a, 11b, 12a, 13a, 14a and 14b to each other, and connect them to the end effector connected to the front end of the robot arm 10, that is, the coating gun 101, and rotate around their respective rotation axes. Specifically, the joints 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46 rotate around the JT1 axis, the JT2 axis, the JT3 axis, the JT4 axis, the JT5 axis, and the JT6 axis, respectively. The joints 42 and 43 are examples of predetermined joints.

[0023] The robot arm 10 is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the Z direction, which is the direction of the lifting movement performed by the lifting unit 20. The robot arm 10 is arranged along the Y direction relative to the lifting unit 20. Specifically, the link member 11a of the base 11 is connected to the lifting unit 20, and the link member 11b rotates around the JT1 axis relative to the link member 11a, thereby rotating the base 11 relative to the lifting unit 20 around the JT1 axis. The JT1 axis is along Figure 3 The base end side of the link member 12a is connected to the lower arm portion 12 so as to rotate around the JT2 axis relative to the link member 11b of the base portion 11. The JT2 axis extends in a direction perpendicular to the JT1 axis. Figure 3 The connecting rod 12a is arranged along the X direction. In addition, the connecting rod 12a is arranged to extend in a direction perpendicular to the JT2 axis. At the front end side of the connecting rod 12a, the connecting rod 13a of the upper arm 13 is connected in a manner that rotates around the JT3 axis. The JT3 axis is parallel to the JT2 axis. Figure 3 The arm portion 13 is arranged along the X direction. The upper arm portion 13 is arranged in a manner extending in a direction perpendicular to the JT3 axis. The arm portion 14 is connected to the connecting rod member 13a in a manner that the connecting rod member 14a rotates around the JT4 axis. Moreover, the connecting rod member 14b is connected to the connecting rod member 14a in a manner that rotates around the JT5 axis. The JT4 axis is orthogonal to the JT3 axis and is arranged along the extension direction of the upper arm portion 13. The JT5 axis intersects with the JT4 axis. Moreover, the arm portion 14 is installed on the front end side with a coating gun 101 as an end effector in a manner that rotates around the JT6 axis relative to the connecting rod member 14b. The JT6 axis intersects with the JT5 axis.

[0024] like Figure 1 As shown, the lifting unit 20 is arranged on the base end side of the robot arm 10. The lifting unit 20 is connected to the base 11 of the robot arm 10, and is arranged on the opposite side of the lower arm 12 relative to the base 11. Specifically, the lower arm 12 is arranged on one side of the Y direction relative to the base 11, and the lifting unit 20 is arranged on the other side of the Y direction opposite to the lower arm 12. The lifting unit 20 includes a pair of weights 21 and 22, wires 23 and 24, pulleys 25 and 26, and a support member 27. The pair of weights 21 and 22 are arranged in an array along the X direction. The pair of weights 21 and 22 are connected to the robot arm 10 via wires 23 and 24, respectively. In detail, the wire 23 is arranged along a plate-shaped support member 27 arranged along the XZ plane, and is mounted on a pulley 25 arranged above the support member 27. One end of the wire 23 is fixed to the counterweight 21, and the other end is fixed to the base 11 of the robot arm 10. In addition, the wire 24 is arranged along the support member 27, and is mounted on the pulley 26 arranged above the support member 27, and one end is fixed to the counterweight 22, and the other end is fixed to the base 11 of the robot arm 10. The lifting unit 20 moves the base 11 in the Z direction along the support member 27. The support member 27 has a hole portion in the center portion in the X direction for the pipe portion 30 to pass through.

[0025] The pipe part 30 includes at least one of a cable and a fluid hose. In the present embodiment, the robot 100 includes a plurality of flexible pipe parts 30. For example, the plurality of pipe parts 30 include cables including a power cable for supplying electric power that is a driving source for the movement of the robot arm 10 and the painting gun 101, and a signal cable for sending a signal for controlling the movement. In addition, the plurality of pipe parts 30 include a paint hose as a fluid hose for supplying paint to the painting gun 101, and an air hose as a fluid hose for supplying air to the painting gun 101. The pipe part 30 may include a plurality of paint hoses for painting in a plurality of colors. In addition, the pipe part 30 may include a plurality of air hoses. In addition, the robot 100 includes a bundling part 31. The bundling part 31 bundles the plurality of pipe parts 30. The bundling part 31 is mounted on the robot arm 10, and includes, for example, a flexible belt, a mechanical clamp, or the like. In addition, in Figure 1 In FIG. 1 , a plurality of tubes 30 in a bundled state are shown as one tube 30. The details of the arrangement of the tubes 30 will be described later.

[0026] like Figure 4As shown, the robot 100 includes a control unit 51 and a drive unit 52. The control unit 51 includes, for example, a computing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 51 is a robot controller that controls the movement of the robot 100. The control unit 51 is provided with a storage device such as a hard disk drive, and the control process is performed by the computing device based on the program and parameters stored in the storage device. In addition, the drive unit 52 includes a servo motor that serves as a driving source for the movement of the robot arm 10 and the lifting unit 20. The drive unit 52 is respectively provided at the plurality of joints 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46 as a driving source for the robot arm 10. The lifting unit 20 is also provided with a drive unit 52 as a driving source for lifting and moving the robot arm 10. The control unit 51 includes, for example, a main CPU for controlling the overall operation of the robot 100, and a servo CPU for controlling the power supplied to the drive units 52 of the six joints 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46 and the drive unit 52 of the lifting unit 20 based on a command from the main CPU. The drive unit 52 rotates the rotation axis of the servo motor by means of the three-phase AC power supplied from the control unit 51. The rotation axis of the servo motor of the drive unit 52 in the robot arm 10 rotates, so that the plurality of joints 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46 rotate respectively, and the robot arm 10 moves. Similarly, the rotation axis of the servo motor of the drive unit 52 in the lifting unit 20 rotates, so that the robot arm 10 moves up and down with the help of the lifting unit 20.

[0027] (Details of the arrangement of the pipe)

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, in the present embodiment, the pipe portion 30 is arranged along the robot arm portion 10 from the base end side of the robot arm portion 10 shared with the lifting portion 20. The pipe portion 30 is arranged to pass between the pair of weights 21 and 22 in the lifting portion 20 and to extend from the lifting portion 20 toward the robot arm portion 10. Moreover, the pipe portion 30 is arranged to pass through the base portion 11 from one side to the other side in a straight line.

[0029] like Figure 3 As shown, the base portion 11 has a through hole 11c that penetrates linearly from one side of the Y direction to the other side. The through hole 11c includes the JT1 axis that is the rotation axis of the joint portion 41. That is, the portion of the rotation axis of the joint portion 41 is hollow. The pipe portion 30 is arranged inside the through hole 11c on the inner side of the joint portion 41. Therefore, from the lifting portion 20 to the base portion 11, the lower arm portion 12 and the upper arm portion 13 are arranged along one direction.

[0030] Moreover, in the present embodiment, the tube portion 30 is arranged on the inner side of each of the joint portions 42 and 43 in a group of adjacent joint portions 42 and 43 respectively arranged at both ends of the lower arm portion 12 among the plurality of joint portions 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 and 46. When viewed from the extension direction of the rotation axis, the tube portion 30 overlaps with circular areas 42r and 43r at the joint portions 42 and 43, respectively, with the radius being the distance from the rotation axis to the respective outer surfaces of the joint portions 42 and 43 being the center thereof, and, when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, is arranged on the inner side of the outer diameter of the joint portions 42 and 43. Specifically, when viewed from the extension direction of the JT2 axis of the rotation axis of the joint portion 42, that is, the X direction, the tube portion 30 is arranged at the joint portion 42 so as to overlap with a circular area 42r with the JT2 axis of the rotation axis being the center thereof, with the radius being the distance from the JT2 axis to the outer surface of the joint portion 42 being the center thereof. Figure 3 In the figure, the circular area 42r is indicated as an area marked with oblique lines. Similarly, in the joint portion 43, when viewed from the extension direction of the JT3 axis, which is the rotation axis of the joint portion 43, i.e., the X direction, the tube portion 30 is arranged to overlap with a circular area 43r whose center is the JT3 axis, which is the rotation axis, and whose radius is the distance from the JT3 axis to the outer surface of the joint portion 43. Figure 3 In the figure, the circular area 43r is indicated as an area marked with oblique lines. For example, when viewed from the X direction, the pipe part 30 is arranged to overlap with the rotation drive mechanism such as the reducer or the bearing unit in the circular areas 42r and 43r, respectively. In addition, at the joints 42 and 43, when viewed from the X direction, the pipe part 30 is arranged at a position closer to the inside than the outer shape of the robot arm 10. In other words, at both end portions of the link member 12a of the lower arm 12, the pipe part 30 is arranged inside the link member 12a.

[0031] Moreover, if Figure 5As shown, at the joint part 42, when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the JT2 axis of the rotation axis of the joint part 42, that is, the Z direction, the pipe part 30 is arranged inside the outer shape of the joint part 42. Specifically, at the base part 11 of the robot arm part 10, the end 11d of the link member 11b has a U-shaped shape that is divided into two parts when viewed from the Z direction. In addition, the end 12b on the base end side of the link member 12a of the lower arm part 12 is also the same, and has a U-shaped shape that is divided into two parts when viewed from the Z direction. At the joint part 42, the end 11d and the end 12b are connected to each other. Specifically, the joint part 42 has a pair of connecting parts 42a and 42b, and the pair of connecting parts 42a and 42b are connected to each other by the U-shaped ends 11d and 12b of the pair of link members 11b and 12a, respectively, and are arranged opposite to each other along the JT2 axis as the rotation axis. The pipe part 30 is arranged between the pair of connecting parts 42a and 42b at the joint part 42. In other words, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the JT2 axis, which is the rotation axis, the joint 42 has a tube arrangement region 42c where the tube 30 is arranged in conjunction with the movement of the robot arm 10, at a position between the connection portions 42a and 42b on the inner side of the outer shape of the joint 42. In the joint 42, the end 11d of the link member 11b of the base 11 is arranged on the inner side of the end 12b of the link member 12a of the lower arm 12. The tube arrangement region 42c in the joint 42 is an area arranged further inner than the inner end 12b. The tube 30 is arranged so as to pass through the central portion of the inner side of the outer shape of the joint 42 in the X direction, which is the extension direction of the JT2 axis, i.e., the width direction of the joint 42. The joint 42 is a joint having a double support structure through a pair of connection portions 42a and 42b.

[0032] In the joint part 43, similarly to the joint part 42, the pipe part 30 is also arranged inside the outer shape of the joint part 43 when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the JT3 axis which is the rotation axis of the joint part 43, that is, the Z direction. The end 12c on the front end side of the link member 12a of the lower arm part 12 of the robot arm part 10 and the end 13b on the base end side of the link member 13a of the upper arm part 13 also have a U-shaped shape that is divided into two parts when viewed from the Z direction. The joint part 43 has a pair of connecting parts 43a and 43b, which are connected to each other by the U-shaped ends 12c and 13b of the pair of link members 12a and 13a, respectively, and are arranged opposite to each other along the JT3 axis which is the rotation axis. The pipe part 30 is arranged between the pair of connecting parts 43a and 43b in the joint part 43. When viewed in a direction perpendicular to the JT3 axis as the rotation axis, the joint 43 has a tube arrangement region 43c where the tube 30 is arranged in accordance with the movement of the robot arm 10, at a position between the connection parts 43a and 43b in the inner side of the outer shape of the joint 43. In addition, in the joint 43, the end 13b of the link member 13a of the upper arm 13 is arranged inside the end 12c of the link member 12a of the lower arm 12, and the tube arrangement region 43c in the joint 43 is an area arranged inside the inner end 13b. The tube 30 is arranged to pass through the center of the inner side of the outer shape of the joint 43 in the X direction which is the extension direction of the JT3 axis, that is, the width direction of the joint 43, similarly to the joint 42. The joint 43 is a joint having a double support structure similarly to the joint 42, by means of a pair of connection parts 43a and 43b.

[0033] like Figure 6 As shown, the tube configuration area 42c of the tube portion 30 in the interior of the joint portion 42 includes a position overlapping with the center of the JT2 axis when viewed from the extension direction of the JT2 axis of the rotation axis of the joint portion 42, that is, the X direction. The same is true for the joint portion 43, that is, the tube configuration area 43c of the tube portion 30 in the interior of the joint portion 43 includes a position overlapping with the center of the JT3 axis when viewed from the extension direction of the JT3 axis of the rotation axis of the joint portion 43, that is, the X direction. In addition, the lower arm portion 12 has a curved arch shape. The tube portion 30 is configured by the tube configuration area 42c of the joint portion 42 and the tube configuration area 43c of the joint portion 43, which are respectively configured at both ends of the lower arm portion 12 having a curved arch shape. When the robot arm 10 is operated in a posture in which the lower arm 12 and the upper arm 13 are extended relative to each other, the arched lower arm 12 is arranged in a state of bending to avoid the tube 30, and the tube 30 is arranged in a straight line from the joint 41 to the joint 42 and the joint 43. In this case, the tube 30 is arranged at a position overlapping with both the center of the JT2 axis and the center of the JT3 axis when viewed from the X direction.

[0034] In addition, if Figure 5 As shown, in the present embodiment, the pipe portion 30 is arranged on the inner side of at least a part of the robot arm 10 in the width direction of the robot arm 10. Specifically, the lower arm 12 and the upper arm 13 respectively have a recess 12d and a recess 13c for arranging the pipe portion 30. The recess 12d and the recess 13c are arranged on the lower side of the robot arm 10 so as to extend along the robot arm 10. That is, the recess 12d and the recess 13c of the lower arm 12 and the upper arm 13 are grooves with a U-shaped cross section opened on the lower side. The binding portion 31 is mounted on the recess 12d of the lower arm 12 and the recess 13c of the upper arm 13 by fastening members such as screws. In addition, on the front end side of the upper arm 13, the pipe portion 30 is arranged inside the upper arm 13, and is connected to the coating gun 101 from the inside of the upper arm 13 through the inside of the arm portion 14.

[0035] [Effects of this embodiment]

[0036] The robot 100 includes a pipe 30, which overlaps with circular regions 42r and 43r centered on the rotation axis and having a radius equal to the distance from the rotation axis to the outer surface of the joints 42 and 43 when viewed from the extending direction of the rotation axis in a predetermined joint portion, such as the joints 42 and 43, which are at least one of the plurality of joints 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46, and is arranged inside the outer shape of the joints 42 and 43 when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, and includes at least one of a cable and a fluid hose. Thus, unlike the case where the pipe 30 is arranged along the outer surface of the joints 42 and 43, it is possible to suppress the pipe 30 from interfering with surrounding objects accompanying the movement of the robot 100. As a result, the robot 100 can be arranged without considering the interference of the pipe 30, so that the arrangement area of ​​the robot 100 can be made compact.

[0037] The joint portion 42 as the prescribed joint portion has a tube arrangement region 42c inside the outer shape of the joint portion 42 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, the tube arrangement region 42c includes a position overlapping with the center of the rotation axis when viewed from the extending direction of the rotation axis, and the tube portion 30 is arranged along with the movement of the robot arm 10. In addition, the joint portion 43 as the prescribed joint portion has a tube arrangement region 43c inside the outer shape of the joint portion 43 when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, the tube arrangement region 43c includes a position overlapping with the center of the rotation axis when viewed from the extending direction of the rotation axis, and the tube portion 30 is arranged along with the movement of the robot arm 10. Thus, since the tube arrangement regions 42c and 43c where the tube portion 30 is arranged include a position overlapping with the center of the rotation axis, the tube portion 30 is arranged at a position overlapping with the center of the rotation axis along with the movement of the robot arm 10, and thus, compared with a case where the tube portion 30 is not arranged at a position overlapping with the center of the rotation axis, it is possible to suppress excessive bending of the tube portion 30 along with the movement of the robot arm 10. Therefore, interference between the pipe portion 30 and surrounding objects can be further suppressed, so the arrangement area of ​​the robot 100 can be made more compact.

[0038] The joint portion 42 as a prescribed joint portion has a pair of connecting portions 42a and 42b arranged opposite to each other along the rotation axis. The joint portion 43 as a prescribed joint portion has a pair of connecting portions 43a and 43b arranged opposite to each other along the rotation axis. The tube portion 30 is arranged between the pair of connecting portions 42a and 42b in the joint portion 42, and between the pair of connecting portions 43a and 43b in the joint portion 43. Thus, by arranging the tube portion 30 between the pair of connecting portions 42a and 42b, the tube portion 30 can be easily arranged on the inner side of the joint portion 42, and by arranging the tube portion 30 between the pair of connecting portions 43a and 43b, the tube portion 30 can be easily arranged on the inner side of the joint portion 43. Therefore, the configuration area of ​​the robot 100 can be easily made compact.

[0039] The robot arm 10 includes a pair of link members 11b and 12a having a U-shaped structure with ends 11d and 12b bifurcated. The joint 42 as a predetermined joint has a pair of connecting parts 42a and 42b, which are arranged opposite to each other along the rotation axis by connecting the ends 11d and 12b of the U-shaped structure of the pair of link members 11b and 12a respectively. In addition, the robot arm 10 includes a pair of link members 12a and 13a having a U-shaped structure with ends 12c and 13b bifurcated. The joint 43 as a predetermined joint has a pair of connecting parts 43a and 43b, which are arranged opposite to each other along the rotation axis by connecting the ends 12c and 13b of the U-shaped structure of each of the pair of link members 12a and 13a respectively. Thus, a pair of connection parts 42a and 42b connecting the ends 11d and 12b of the U-shape are arranged at the joint part 42, and a pair of connection parts 43a and 43b connecting the ends 12c and 13b of the U-shape are arranged at the joint part 43. Therefore, compared with the case where there is only one connection part, even when the pipe part 30 is arranged inside, it is possible to suppress the reduction in strength in the joint parts 42 and 43. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the reduction in strength of the robot arm part 10, and the arrangement area of ​​the robot 100 can be made compact.

[0040] The pipe part 30 is arranged inside the width direction of the robot arm 10 in at least a part of the robot arm 10. Thus, in the robot arm 10, the pipe part 30 is arranged inside the width direction of the robot arm 10, so that the pipe part 30 can be prevented from interfering with surrounding objects in parts other than the joints 42 and 43 that are the prescribed joints. Therefore, the arrangement area of ​​the robot 100 can be made more compact.

[0041] The robot 100 includes a plurality of pipes 30. In addition, the robot 100 includes a bundling unit 31 for bundling the plurality of pipes 30. Thus, the plurality of pipes 30 can be prevented from being scattered due to the movement of the robot arm 10, and thus the arrangement area of ​​the robot 100 can be made more compact. Therefore, by arranging the plurality of pipes 30 bundled by the bundling unit 31 inside the joints 42 and 43 as the predetermined joints, the arrangement area of ​​the robot 100 can be made more compact.

[0042] The robot 100 includes a set of adjacent joints 42 and 43 as a predetermined joint among the plurality of joints 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46. When viewed from the extending direction of the rotation axis, the pipe 30 overlaps with the circular regions 42r and 43r in each of the adjacent set of joints 42 and 43, and when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, is arranged inside the outer shapes of the joints 42 and 43. Thus, the pipe 30 can be arranged inside both of the adjacent joints 42 and 43, so that the pipe 30 can be further suppressed from bending to a position outside the outer shape of the robot arm 10 in accordance with the movement of the robot arm 10, compared with the case where the pipe 30 is arranged inside only one of them. Therefore, by arranging the pipe 30 inside both of the adjacent set of joints 42 and 43, the arrangement area of ​​the robot 100 can be made more compact.

[0043] The robot arm 10 includes a lower arm 12 disposed on the base end side, and an upper arm 13 connected to the lower arm 12 and disposed on the front end side. Joints 42 and 43 as predetermined joints are disposed at both ends of the lower arm 12 among a plurality of joints 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, and 46, respectively. Thus, when the tube 30 is disposed along the lower arm 12, it is possible to suppress the tube 30 from bending to a position outside the outer shape of the lower arm 12 in accordance with the movement of the lower arm 12. Therefore, when the lower arm 12 is moved, it is possible to suppress the objects around the lower arm 12 from interfering with the tube 30 disposed along the lower arm 12, so that the configuration area of ​​the robot 100 can be made more compact.

[0044] The lower arm 12 has a curved arch shape. The tube 30 is arranged to pass through the joints 42 and 43 as the prescribed joints respectively arranged at both ends of the lower arm 12 having the curved arch shape. Thus, since the lower arm 12 has a curved arch shape, when the tube 30 is arranged to pass through the inside of the joints 42 and 43 respectively arranged at both ends of the lower arm 12, the lower arm 12 can be arranged to avoid the arranged tube 30. Therefore, the tube 30 can be arranged linearly from the base end toward the front end of the lower arm 12, so the bending of the tube 30 can be further suppressed. As a result, the arrangement area of ​​the robot 100 can be made more compact.

[0045] The robot arm 10 includes a lower arm 12 disposed on the base end side, an upper arm 13 connected to the lower arm 12 and disposed on the front end side, and a base 11 connected to the base end side of the lower arm 12 on the opposite side of the upper arm 13. The pipe 30 is disposed so as to pass through the base 11 in a straight line from one side to the other side. Thus, by arranging the pipe 30 in a straight line from one side to the other side of the base 11, it is possible to suppress the arrangement of the pipe 30 in the base 11 from becoming complicated compared to the case where the pipe 30 is arranged in a curved manner on the base 11.

[0046] The robot 100 includes a lifting unit 20 for lifting and moving the robot arm 10. The lifting unit 20 is arranged on the base end side of the robot arm 10. The pipe 30 is arranged along the robot arm 10 from the base end side of the robot arm 10 shared with the lifting unit 20. Thus, the robot arm 10 and the pipe 30 arranged along the robot arm 10 can be lifted and moved together by the lifting unit 20. Therefore, unlike the case where the lifting unit 20 and the pipe 30 are separately arranged, there is no need to arrange a mechanism to assist the movement of the pipe 30, so that the complexity of the device structure of the robot 100 can be suppressed, and the arrangement area of ​​the robot 100 can be made compact. In addition, since the robot arm 10 can be lifted and moved by the lifting unit 20, the movement range of the lifting unit 20 can be added to the movement range of the robot arm 10 alone. Therefore, when the arrangement area of ​​the robot arm 10 is made compact, the movement range of the entire robot 100 can also be increased by the lifting unit 20. As a result, the arrangement area of ​​the robot 100 can be made compact, and the movement range of the robot 100 can be suppressed from being reduced.

[0047] The robot 100 includes a lifting unit 20 for lifting and moving the robot arm 10. The lifting unit 20 includes weights 21 and 22 connected to the robot arm 10 via wires 23 and 24. Thus, the weight of the robot arm 10 can be supported by the weights 21 and 22, so that the amount of power consumption caused by the configuration of the lifting unit 20 can be reduced. Therefore, by configuring the lifting unit 20, the configuration area of ​​the robot 100 can be made compact, and the range of motion of the robot 100 can be suppressed from being reduced, so that the increase in power consumption can be suppressed.

[0048] The robot arm 10 includes a lower arm 12 disposed on the base end side, an upper arm 13 connected to the lower arm 12 and disposed on the front end side, and a base 11 connected to the base end side of the lower arm 12 on the opposite side of the upper arm 13. The robot arm 10 is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the lifting and lowering movement performed by the lifting unit 20. The lifting unit 20 is disposed on the opposite side of the lower arm 12 with respect to the base 11. Thus, the base 11, the lower arm 12, and the upper arm 13 can be configured from the lifting unit 20 along one direction. Therefore, when a plurality of robots 100 are arranged in a row, the distance between adjacent robots 100 can be reduced. As a result, when a plurality of robots 100 are arranged in a row, the configuration area of ​​the plurality of robots 100 can also be made compact.

[0049] The lifting unit 20 includes a pair of weights 21 and 22 connected to the robot arm 10 via wires 23 and 24. The pipe 30 passes between the pair of weights 21 and 22 and is arranged from the lifting unit 20 toward the robot arm 10. Thus, even when the lifting unit 20 is arranged in one direction to the base 11, the lower arm 12, and the upper arm 13, the pipe 30 can be arranged in a manner passing between the pair of weights 21 and 22, thereby making it possible to make the arrangement area of ​​the plurality of robots 100 compact and suppressing the increase in power consumption due to the weights 21 and 22.

[0050] The robot arm 10 has a coating gun 101 for spraying paint installed at the front end as an end effector. The pipe 30 includes a paint hose as a fluid hose for supplying paint to the coating gun 101. Here, when the workpiece 103 as a coating object and the robot 100 are arranged in the coating room 102, the pipe 30 for supplying paint is arranged inside the joints 42 and 43 as the prescribed joints, so that the arrangement area of ​​the robot 100 in the coating room 102 can be made compact. Therefore, the coating room 102 itself for coating the workpiece 103 can be made compact.

[0051] [Modifications]

[0052] The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not limiting the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited by the above description but indicated by the claims, and includes the meaning equivalent to the claims and all changes within the scope thereof.

[0053] (First Modification)

[0054] For example, in the above embodiment, the lifting part 20 is arranged on the opposite side of the lower arm part 12 relative to the base part 11, and the pipe part 30 is arranged to pass through the base part 11 in a straight line from one side to the other side, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. Figure 7 As shown in the first modified example, the lifting unit 220 is arranged on the side of the base 11. That is, the lifting unit 220 may be arranged relative to the base 11 in a direction intersecting the direction in which the robot arm 10 is arranged. In this case, the pipe portion may be arranged linearly from one side of the base 11 to the other side, or the pipe portion may be bent in the direction in which the lifting unit 220 is arranged. In addition, in the case where the lifting unit is arranged on the opposite side of the lower arm relative to the base, the pipe portion may be bent non-linearly on the base. In addition, the pipe portion may be arranged to extend from a position separated from the lifting portion to the robot arm.

[0055] (Second Modification)

[0056] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the lifting unit 20 is provided to move the robot arm 10 up and down, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the lifting unit may not be provided. For example, Figure 8 As shown in the second modified example of the robot arm 310, the base 311 of the robot arm 310 is directly arranged on a platform or a setting surface without a lifting unit. In this case, the pipe 330 can be bent and arranged to extend to the side of the base 311, or can be arranged to pass through the base in a straight line from one side to the other side.

[0057] (Other Modifications)

[0058] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the examples in which the joints 42 and 43 as the prescribed joints respectively have the tube configuration areas 42c and 43c including the position overlapping with the center of the rotation axis when viewed from the extension direction of the rotation axis are shown, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the tube configuration area in which the tube is configured may not include the position overlapping with the center of the rotation axis when viewed from the extension direction of the rotation axis. That is, the position of the configuration of the tube may also be a position deviated from the center of the rotation axis when viewed from the extension direction of the rotation axis.

[0059] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, a tube portion 30 is arranged between the connection portions 42a and 42b where the ends 11d and 12b of the U-shaped connecting rod parts 11b and 12a are connected to each other at the joint portion 42 as the prescribed joint portion, and an example of a tube portion 30 is arranged between the connection portions 43a and 43b where the ends 12c and 13b of the U-shaped connecting rod parts 12a and 13a are connected to each other at the joint portion 43 as the prescribed joint portion, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the prescribed joint portion may not have a pair of connection portions. For example, the prescribed joint portion may be made into a joint portion of a cantilever structure by one connection portion. In addition, at the prescribed joint portion, the end of the connecting rod part may not be U-shaped. For example, the connecting rod part may have a hollow columnar shape.

[0060] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the pipe part 30 is arranged on the inner side of the width direction of the robot arm part 10 by respectively arranging the recess 12d and the recess 13c in the lower arm part 12 and the upper arm part 13 of the robot arm part 10, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the pipe part may be arranged in a part of the robot arm part at a part that is outside the outer shape of the robot arm part in the width direction of the robot arm part. In this case, the width direction of the robot arm part may also be a direction orthogonal to the extension direction of the robot arm part, and may be any one of a direction along the rotation axis of each of the plurality of joint parts arranged in the robot arm part and a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis. In addition, a recessed part opening downward may not be arranged in the robot arm part. For example, a recessed part opening upward may be arranged in the robot arm part. In addition, a recessed part as a groove part having a V-shaped cross section instead of a U-shaped part may be arranged in the robot arm part. In addition, an L-shaped guide having a wall surface only on one side may be arranged in the robot arm part instead of a recessed part.

[0061] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the robot 100 includes a plurality of pipes 30 including both cables and fluid hoses, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the robot may also include a pipe including only one of the cables and fluid hoses. In addition, the robot may also include only one pipe instead of a plurality of pipes.

[0062] In addition, in the above embodiment, the robot arm 10 is shown as a 6-axis vertical multi-joint, including a base 11, a lower arm 12, an upper arm 13 and an arm 14, and the joints 42 and 43 as the prescribed joints are respectively arranged adjacent to the two ends of the lower arm 12, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the robot arm may also include joints with less than 5 axes or more than 7 axes instead of 6 axes. In addition, the number and orientation of the joints of the robot arm are not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the direction of the rotation axis of the joint in the base may also be different from the above embodiment. In addition, the structure of the arm may also be a different structure from the above embodiment. In addition, the upper arm may also have a plurality of link components and a plurality of joints instead of one link component. For example, in the upper arm, a joint that rotates with the extension direction of the upper arm as the rotation axis may also be arranged. In addition, the prescribed joints may not be the two ends of the lower arm.

[0063] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example in which the lower arm portion 12 has an arch shape is shown, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In the present disclosure, the lower arm portion may also have a shape extending linearly.

[0064] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example is shown in which a pair of counterweights 21 and 22 connected to the robot arm 10 via wires 23 and 24 are arranged on the lifting part 20, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, one or more than three counterweights may be arranged on the lifting part, or no counterweight may be arranged. In addition, when a counterweight is arranged, the counterweight may be connected to the robot arm through a fixing member without using a wire.

[0065] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, an example of installing a coating gun 101 as an end effector at the front end of the robot arm 10 is shown, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, a welding gun can also be installed at the front end of the robot arm as an end effector. In addition, a processing tool for cutting, grinding, and cutting can be installed at the front end of the robot arm as an end effector, and a manipulator for holding a workpiece for transportation can also be installed as an end effector. In addition, the robot may not be an industrial robot, but a medical robot.

[0066] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the control unit 51 includes a main CPU and a servo CPU, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the operation of the robot may be controlled by a single computing device such as a CPU.

[0067] [Technical solution]

[0068] Those skilled in the art may understand that the above-mentioned exemplary embodiments are specific examples of the following technical solutions.

[0069] (Technical Solution 1)

[0070] A robot, wherein the robot comprises: a vertical multi-joint robot arm, including a plurality of joints rotating around respective rotation axes; and a tube, wherein, at a specified joint being at least one of the plurality of joints, when viewed from the direction in which the rotation axis extends, the tube overlaps with a circular area having the rotation axis as the center and the distance from the rotation axis to the outer surface of the specified joint as the radius, and, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, is arranged on the inner side of the outer shape of the specified joint, and the tube includes at least one of a cable and a fluid hose.

[0071] (Technical Solution 2)

[0072] According to the robot described in technical solution 1, the above-mentioned specified joint part is constructed to have a tube configuration area on the inner side of the outer shape of the above-mentioned specified joint part when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the above-mentioned rotation axis, and the above-mentioned tube configuration area includes a position overlapping with the center of the above-mentioned rotation axis when viewed from the extension direction of the above-mentioned rotation axis, and in the above-mentioned tube configuration area, the above-mentioned tube part is configured along with the movement of the above-mentioned robot arm part.

[0073] (Technical Solution 3)

[0074] According to the robot described in technical solution 1 or 2, the above-mentioned prescribed joint portion has a pair of connection portions arranged opposite to each other along the above-mentioned rotation axis, and the above-mentioned tube portion is arranged between the pair of the above-mentioned connection portions at the above-mentioned prescribed joint portion.

[0075] (Technical Solution 4)

[0076] According to the robot described in Technical Solution 3, the robot arm includes a pair of connecting rod parts having a U-shape with two ends, and the specified joint part is connected to each other by the respective U-shaped ends of the pair of connecting rod parts to form a pair of connecting parts arranged opposite to each other along the rotation axis.

[0077] (Technical Solution 5)

[0078] In the robot according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the pipe is arranged inside the robot arm in the width direction in at least a portion of the robot arm.

[0079] (Technical Solution 6)

[0080] According to the robot described in any one of claims 1 to 5, the pipe portion includes a plurality of pipe portions, and further includes a bundling portion for bundling the plurality of pipe portions.

[0081] (Technical Solution 7)

[0082] A robot according to any one of technical solutions 1 to 6, wherein the above-mentioned specified joint portion includes a group of adjacent specified joint portions among the above-mentioned multiple joint portions, and the above-mentioned tube portion is constructed as follows: at each of the above-mentioned adjacent group of specified joint portions, when observed from the extension direction of the above-mentioned rotation axis, it overlaps with the above-mentioned circular area, and when observed from the direction perpendicular to the above-mentioned rotation axis, it is arranged on the inner side of the outer shape of the above-mentioned specified joint portion.

[0083] (Technical Solution 8)

[0084] According to the robot described in Technical Solution 7, the robot arm includes a lower arm arranged on the base end side, and an upper arm connected to the lower arm and arranged on the front end side, and the specified joints are respectively arranged at both ends of the lower arm among the multiple joints.

[0085] (Technical Solution 9)

[0086] According to the robot described in claim 8, the lower arm has a curved arch shape, and the tube is configured to pass through the predetermined joints respectively arranged at both ends of the lower arm having the curved arch shape.

[0087] (Technical Solution 10)

[0088] A robot according to any one of technical solutions 1 to 9, wherein the robot arm includes a lower arm arranged on the base end side, an upper arm connected to the lower arm and arranged on the front end side, and a base connected to the base end side of the lower arm on the opposite side of the upper arm, and the tube is arranged to pass through the base in a straight line from one side to the other side.

[0089] (Technical Solution 11)

[0090] A robot according to any one of technical solutions 1 to 10, further comprising a lifting portion for lifting and moving the robot arm, wherein the lifting portion is arranged on the base end side of the robot arm, and the tube portion is arranged to extend along the robot arm from the base end side of the robot arm shared with the lifting portion.

[0091] (Technical Solution 12)

[0092] The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 11 further comprises a lifting unit for lifting and lowering the robot arm, wherein the lifting unit includes a weight connected to the robot arm via a wire.

[0093] (Technical Solution 13)

[0094] According to the robot described in technical solution 11, the robot arm includes a lower arm arranged on the base end side, an upper arm connected to the lower arm and arranged on the front end side, and a base connected to the base end side of the lower arm on the opposite side of the upper arm, and the robot arm is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the lifting and lowering movement performed by the lifting unit.

[0095] The lifting portion is arranged on the opposite side of the lower arm portion with respect to the base portion.

[0096] (Technical Solution 14)

[0097] According to the robot described in Technical Solution 13, the lifting part includes a pair of counterweights connected to the robot arm via wires, and the tube passes between the pair of counterweights and is configured from the lifting part toward the robot arm.

[0098] (Technical Solution 15)

[0099] According to the robot described in any one of technical solutions 1 to 14, the robot arm has a coating gun for spraying paint installed at the front end as an end effector, and the tube portion includes a coating hose as the fluid hose for supplying the coating gun with the coating.

Claims

1. A robot, wherein: The robot has: a vertical multi-jointed robot arm including a plurality of joints that rotate about respective rotation axes; and A tube portion, at a specified joint portion serving as at least one of the plurality of joint portions, when viewed from the direction in which the rotation axis extends, overlaps with a circular area having the rotation axis as the center and a distance from the rotation axis to the outer surface of the specified joint portion as a radius, and when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, is arranged on the inner side of the outer shape of the specified joint portion, and the tube portion includes at least one of a cable and a fluid hose.

2. The robot according to claim 1, wherein: The specified joint portion is constructed so that, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, a tube configuration area is provided on the inner side of the outer shape of the specified joint portion, the tube configuration area includes a position overlapping with the center of the rotation axis when viewed from the extension direction of the rotation axis, and in the tube configuration area, the tube portion is configured along with the movement of the robot arm portion.

3. The robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The predetermined joint portion includes a pair of connection portions arranged to face each other along the rotation axis. The tube portion is disposed between the pair of connection portions at the predetermined joint portion.

4. The robot according to claim 3, wherein: The robot arm includes a pair of U-shaped link members with two ends, The predetermined joint portion is formed by connecting the U-shaped end portions of the pair of link members to each other, thereby forming a pair of connection portions that are arranged to face each other along the rotation axis.

5. The robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The pipe portion is arranged on the inner side in the width direction of the robot arm at least in a portion of the robot arm.

6. The robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The tube portion includes a plurality of tube portions, A bundling portion for bundling the plurality of tubes is further provided.

7. The robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The predetermined joint portion includes a group of adjacent predetermined joint portions among the plurality of joint portions, The tube portion is constructed such that, at each of the adjacent groups of the prescribed joint portions, it overlaps with the circular area when viewed from the direction in which the rotation axis extends, and is arranged on the inner side of the outer shape of the prescribed joint portion when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis.

8. The robot according to claim 7, wherein: The robot arm includes a lower arm disposed on a base end side and an upper arm connected to the lower arm and disposed on a front end side. The predetermined joints are respectively arranged at both ends of the lower arm among the plurality of joints.

9. The robot according to claim 8, wherein: The lower arm has a curved arch shape, The tube portion is arranged so as to pass through the predetermined joint portions respectively arranged at both ends of the lower arm portion having a curved arch shape.

10. The robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The robot arm includes a lower arm disposed on a base end side, an upper arm connected to the lower arm and disposed on a front end side, and a base connected to a base end side of the lower arm on an opposite side of the upper arm. The tube portion is arranged to linearly penetrate from one side to the other side of the base portion.

11. The robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: It also includes a lifting unit for lifting and lowering the robot arm. The lifting unit is arranged on the base end side of the robot arm. The pipe portion is arranged along the robot arm portion from a base end side of the robot arm portion shared with the lifting portion.

12. The robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: It also includes a lifting unit for lifting and lowering the robot arm. The lifting part includes a counterweight connected to the robot arm via a wire.

13. The robot according to claim 11, wherein: The robot arm includes a lower arm disposed on a base end side, an upper arm connected to the lower arm and disposed on a front end side, and a base connected to a base end side of the lower arm on an opposite side of the upper arm. The robot arm is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the lifting movement performed by the lifting unit. The lifting portion is arranged on the opposite side of the lower arm portion with respect to the base portion.

14. The robot according to claim 13, wherein: The lifting part includes a pair of counterweights connected to the robot arm via wires, The pipe portion passes between the pair of counterweights and is arranged from the lifting portion toward the robot arm portion.

15. The robot according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The robot arm is equipped with a coating gun for spraying paint at the front end as the end effector. The pipe portion includes a paint hose as the fluid hose for supplying the paint to the coating gun.

Images